Bailey Reutzel

Earlier today Groupon POS, a mobile payment app for merchants using iPads as point of sale systems, was released on iTunes, but the app has since been pulled from the app store.

Amazon.com's virtual currency Amazon Coins, which launched today, has the potential to become a successful alternative to card payments — if the currency expands beyond digital app purchases.

Amazon launched its virtual currency, Amazon Coins, giving all U.S. Kindle Fire tablet owners $5 worth of free coins in their Amazon accounts and discounts for purchasing more in bulk.

LinkPOS, an iPad point of sale app provider, is using Merchant Warehouse's Genius customer engagement platform to increased payment acceptance and mobile functionality.

Through a partnership with Bitcoin payment processor BitPay Inc., Gyft now accepts bitcoins for its mobile gift card product. This extends the virtual currency's reach to more than 50,000 retail locations.

Osama Bedier, Google’s vice president of wallet and payments, is leaving Google.

Square Inc. hired Demetrios Marantis, a former Obama administration trade official, in a move to strengthen its international relations for possible future expansion.

CardFlight aims to make in-person purchases easier by enabling merchants to accept swiped card payments within their own mobile apps.

Simplee uses a personal financial management-style system with payment capabilities to help healthcare providers cut costs by making bill payments more straightforward.

Paidpiper Inc., once a poster child of MasterCard Inc.'s push to work with small developers, is finally ready to launch its product — without its previous reliance on MasterCard.

PageOnce is changing its name to Check, a rebranding that signals the mobile financial management company's new focus on payments.

The launch of the Smart Jets mobile app is giving big spenders a new way to pay for private jet flights. Smart Jets targets customers with a net worth of at least $30 million.

Flash Valet, which uses mobile technology to facilitate payments for valet service providers, is creating a companion mobile app for consumers.

VeriFone has made several attempts to become a major player in mobile payments. A few months after altering its strategy with its second mobile card reader, the terminal maker says it is still learning.

Wex Inc. announced its succession plan today, naming Melissa Smith, a 16-year employee of Wex, as president of the company. She will take over as CEO in January 2014.

ATX Innovation, the company behind the TabbedOut mobile payment application, partnered with Harbortouch to add more than 10,000 locations to the company's expanding hospitality merchant base.

Braintree is not only attracting talent from major technology companies such as Google and Twitter, but also younger payments companies with the addition of Rob von Behren, formerly an engineer at Square.

With a new round of funding, Des Moines, Iowa-based alternative payments company Dwolla plans to add to its headcount in Iowa and New York and expand to San Francisco.

Payments companies are becoming increasingly interested in acquiring companies outside the industry as a way to stay relevant in a competitive market.

Snapfinger Inc. designed its mobile payment app for its restaurant clients to better gather data on their guests.